1. Industrial Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a viscous liquid processor and, more particularly, to a viscous liquid processor which includes two horizontal shafts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, viscous liquid processors of this kind are roughly classified into a continuous type and a batch type. A horizontal viscous liquid processor of the continuous type is structured in such a manner that a material to be processed is supplied from an inlet provided on one longitudinal end of a casing, moves toward an outlet provided on the other longitudinal end (making so-called piston flows) while the degree of reaction or the like is increased, and is discharged from the outlet after a desired process has been completed (see Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 47-27179, Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication Nos. 51-45559 and 54-5805, Japanese Patent Examined Publication Nos. 61-59173 and 62-50179, and the like). Consequently, the viscous liquid processor of this continuous type has a characteristic that the degree of reaction varies in accordance with the position of the flowing material in the course from the inlet to the outlet.
On the other hand, a horizontal viscous liquid processor of the batch type is structured in such a manner that one dose of a material to be processed, which has been calculated previously, is fed into a casing, and discharged to the outside after a desired process has been completed, another dose of the material being fed into the casing anew (see Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 49-73759 and the like). Therefore, the viscous liquid processor of this batch type has a characteristic that the degree of reaction varies in accordance with the length of processing time, so that it will be preferred that the material at any position in the casing can be simultaneously reacted uniformly in a certain length of processing time.
Whether it is of the continuous type or of the batch type, a viscous liquid processor requires such functions as uniform shearing and agitation of viscous liquid, circulation or delivery of the liquid in one direction, cooperative scraping of the liquid by agitator blades (self-cleaning), replacement of the liquid surface, and the like. However, there has conventionally been no viscous liquid processor in which these functions, especially the shearing/agitation function and the liquid delivering function can be simultaneously effected by means of disk-like agitator blades having a structure as simple as possible.